Geranium plant named ‘Paclill’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy  Geranium  plant named ‘Paclill’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; large, double and light purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium peltatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Paclill’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of IvyGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Paclill’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new vigorous Ivy Geraniums withattractive flower coloration.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2000 of two proprietary selections of Pelargonium peltatum,not patented. The cultivar Paclill was discovered and selected by theInventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from the statedcross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany in2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Dresden, Germany since 2002 shown that theunique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Paclill’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Paclill’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely basal branching habit.    -   4. Large, double and light purple-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of theparent selections in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivarPaclit, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,399. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of the new IvyGeranium differed from plants of the cultivar Paclit in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had closed leaf bases whereas        plants of the cultivar Paclit had open leaf bases.    -   2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had more umbels per plant than        plants of the cultivar Paclit.    -   3. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Paclit        differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Paclit had        darker purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium. The photograph comprises aside perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Paclill’ grown ina container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Paclill have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown during the summer in containers inDresden, Germany, and under commercial practice in a glass-coveredgreenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 20° C., nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels ranging from 15 to 75kilulox. Plants used for the photograph and the description were aboutfive months old and had been pinched two times. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Paclill.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Pelargonium peltatum, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Pelargonium peltatum, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at 22° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 25 days            at 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 30 days            at 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright, outwardly spreading, trailing            and eventually cascading plant habit; uniformly mounded;            densely foliated.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous growth habit. Freely            basal branching habit with about eight lateral branches per            plant.        -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 22 cm.        -   Plants height, to top of foliar plane.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Internode length: About 3 cm. Texture: Sparsely pubescent.            Color: 147B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:            About 4 cm. Width: About 5 cm to 6 cm. Shape:            Palmately-lobed. Apex: Acute. Base: Cordate; closed. Margin:            Lobed. Venation pattern: Palamate. Texture, upper surface:            Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Texture, lower surface: Slightly            pubescent along the veins; leathery. Color: Developing and            fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 147C.            Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137B;            venation, 147C. Zonation pattern: Faint. Location of zone            from margin: About 2 cm. Width of zone: About 1 cm. Color:            147A. Petiole: Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement.—Light purple-colored flowers; double            rotate flowers arranged in roughly hemispherical umbels            arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the            foliage on strong peduncles. Flowers face upright to            outwardly; flowers mostly flat. Flowers not persistent.            Flowers not fragrant.        -   Quantity of flowers.—About 17 flower umbels per plant each            umbel with about six to seven flower buds and open flowers.        -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In            Germany, flowering is continuous from May until frost.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about six to ten            days on the plant; umbels last about three to four weeks on            the plant.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 8 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Elliptic. Color: 144A.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About            2.5 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm to 1.7 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:            Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When            opening and fully opened, upper surface: 76B; color becoming            closer to 76D with development; towards the base, close to            155D; venation, 74A. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: 76D; towards the base, close to 155D; venation,            76D.        -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About 15 to 19. Length:            About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Width: About 5 mm to 15 mm. Shape:            Obovate; irregular. Apex: Acute to rounded. Base: Attenuate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened,            upper surface: 76B; color becoming closer to 76D with            development; towards the base, close to 155D; venation, 74A.            When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 76D; towards            the base, close to 155D; venation, 76D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five to six in a single            whorl. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.        -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About            3 mm. Strength: Strong; flexible. Texture: Sparsely            pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2 cm to            2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 1.5 mm. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About three. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:            Elongated. Anther color: Brownish. Pollen amount: Sparse.            Pollen color: Golden brown. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape:            Five-parted. Stigma color: Red purple. Style length: About            1 mm. Style color: Pale green to white. Ovary color: Pale            green.        -   Seed.—Seed development has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy    Geraniums.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been    observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from about    0° C. to about 35° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Paclill’, as herein illustrated and described. 